Name plate attaching means for grave markers



Feb. 19, 1952 L. L. ROCHESTER NAME PLATE ATTACHING MEANS FOR GRAVE MARKERS Filed Feb. 17, 1950 JO!" DOE a DEC INVENTOR. Z asfer A. /?0 a/msfer A TTOPNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1952 NAME PLATE ATTACHING MEANS FOR GRAVE MARKERS Lester L, Rochester, Port Clinton, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Dean B. Rideout, Fremont, Ohio Application February 17, 1950, Serial No. 144,611 Claims. (01. 40-140) This invention relates to markers for graves, land plats, and the like, and particularly to a name-plate holding-means for such markers.

The object of the invention is the provision of means of this character especially for use in connection with hollow markers or those having an outer shell of sheet metal, plastic or other suitable material, which means constitutes a novel manner for securely attaching name-plates to such markers.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a grave marker with one name-plate attached thereto and with an opening left for the attaching of another nameplate; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the dotted line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a name-plate and its attached anchoring means separate from a. marker; Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 with a name-plate anchored in the receiving opening, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a portion of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a grave marker, tombstone, or the like, preferably of a type that is hollow with an outer shell 2 of sheet metal, plastic or other suitable material usually filled with concrete to give the marker strength, rigidity and weight. The shell 2 has one or more openings 4 usually in its front face for receiving a name-plate 5. The opening 4 forms the outer open end of a pocket 6 into which the anchoring means for the plate is mounted.

In the present instance, the wall of the opening 4 is formed by a turned-in edge portion 1 of the material forming the shell 2, and the inner or free edge of this portion is turned out in spaced parallel relation thereto to form a flange 8 inwardly of the sides and ends of said wall, and which flange terminates short of the outer plane of the opening. The pocket 8, which in longitudinal cross-section corresponds in shape to the turned-in wall portion 7, telescopically receives such portion and has its outer or free edge provided with a foot flange 9 that seats against the shell wall marginally of the opening and may be fixedly secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by electric welding as shown in Fig. 6.

A U-shaped screen Ill of perforated or expanded sheet metal or coarse woven wire fabric, or the like, is disposed in the pocket 6 lengthwise thereof, and is provided len thwise of its bottom with a ridge ll which rests on the bottom of the pocket and thus serves to space the major portions of the two bottoms one from the other. The free outer edges (if the screen [0 register with the wall portions fl and 8 so that the latter serve to prevent withdrawal of the screen from within the pocket.

The name-plate 5 is intended to close the opening 4 preferably flush with the adjacent marginal portion of the shell 2 and has an inturned edge flange 15 that telescopes within the inturned wall portion I and fits into the outwardly opening recess l6 between the portions 1 and 8. The free edge of the flange 15 may be doubled inwardly upon itself to form such flange with an inturned shoulder ll.

A U-shaped anchoring screen 18 similar to the screen I0, but of less width, is anchored at its side edges to the inner side of the plate 5 with its loop portion adapted tofiproject into the hollow of the screen ill in spaced relation thereto when the plate is fitted into the opening 4, as

shown in Fig. 5. The side or terminal edges of the screen l8 are preferably turned outwardly for welding or otherwise suitably attaching to the inner side of the plate, so that the anchoring of the screen l8 in the pocket 6 serves to securely hold the plate in place. This anchoring may also be accomplished by having the screen l8 free from the plate and causing its outtumed edges to overhang the shoulders l'l so that complete withdrawal of the plate from the opening is thereby prevented.

In securing a name-plate withina shell opening 4, any suitable anchoring cement 20 is deposited within the screen Hl in the pocket 6 and interengages with the screen mesh, as well as filling the space between such screen and bottom of the pocket member 6. While the cement is still soft, the anchoring screen i8 is forced therein so that the cement runs through the screen openings and around its ends and at the same time the plate 5 is forced into the opening 4 with its flange l5 projecting into the recess l6. When the cement has hardened, the plate 5 with its screen l8 are permanently anchored in the pocket and removal of the plate is thus prevented.

If the attachment of the plate is to be temporary, as when a blank plate is used until a death occurs, it may have releasable connection with the opening wall and no cement would be used for anchoring. In such case, the plate at each end within the line of the flange l5 may be provided with stud members 22 for interengage- 3 ment with registering socket members 23 at a side of the flange 8 to yieldingly hold the plate in the opening. If desired, a knock-out plug may be provided in the cover to facilitate removal of the cover by the insertion of a tool in the plug opening.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts-,as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a grave marker or the like of a, type having an external shell with a pocket in a wall thereof and opening outwardly therethrough, a plate mounted in the open outer end of the pocket, a screen mounted in the pocket, a second screen attached to the plate and projecting therefrom into the pocket to be anchored therein and to said "first screen by a cementitious material placed in'the pocket.

2. In a grave marker or the like of a type having an external shell with a pocket in a wall thereof and opening outwardly therethrough, said pocket beingformed at its outer open end portion by a marginal inturned portion of the shell which terminates in an outwardly opening recess, a name-plate having an edge flange projecting into said recess, and a screen projecting from the plate into said pocket for anchoring in a cementitious material therein.

3. In a grave marker or the like of a type having an external shell with a pocket in a wall thereof and opening outwardly therethrough, said pocket being formed at its outer open end portion by amarginal inturned portion of the shell which terminates in an outwardly opening recess, a name-plate having an edge flange projecting into said recess, a U-shaped screen projecting inwardly from the name-plate into the pocket in spaced relation to its bottom and sides for anchoring in a cementitious material in the pocket.

4. In a grave marker or the like of a type having an external shell with a pocket in a wall thereof and opening outwardly therethrough, a plate mounted in the open outer end of the pocket, and a U-form of screen fixedly attached at its leg terminals to the inner side of the plate and projecting therefrom into the pocket to be ,anchored therein by a cementitious material placed on the pocket.

5. In a grave marker or the like of the type having an external shell with a pocket in a wall thereof and opening outwardly therethrough, a plate mounted in the open outer end of the pocket to close the same, a screen attached to the inner side of the plate and projecting therefrom into the pocket to be permanently anchored therein by a cementitious material placed in the pocket, and cooperating stud and socket means on the shell and plate within the pocket for releasably holding the shell and plate in assembled relation.

LESTER L. ROCHESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Knight Mar. 28, 1939 

